What guns used in Thoothukudi firing, asks Madras HC

Madurai: The Madras High Court Bench here on Wednesday directed the government to submit video footage of the anti-Sterlite protests at Thoothukudi and also wanted the state police intelligence to file a report on the agitation that turned violent on its 100th day leading to police firing on May 22-23.

The Bench comprising Justices C T Selvam and Basheer Ahamed asked the government to state what kind of guns were used in the police firing on May 22 and also wanted to know where the district collector was when the firing was ordered. The Bench wanted the videos and reports by July 18.

While 12 protesters died in the firing on May 22, one more was killed when police opened fire the next day. This caused outrage across TN, prompting the government to shut down Sterlite on May 28.

The HC Bench at Madurai was hearing 15 petitions praying for orders for murder charges to be pressed against the officers-in-charge during the May 22 shooting, the case be transferred to the CBI, and increase in the compensation announced to the families of those killed in the police firing.

Additional Advocate-General Chellapandian told the Bench that on May 21, prohibitory orders under section 144 (unlawful assembly) were in force. There was a peace committee meeting held at the Collector's office headed by the District Superintendent of Police and the sub-collector. Despite promising not to indulge in violence, some protestors resorted to violence (on May 22) and damaged public property worth several crores of rupees.

The government counsel also said the protestors had attacked the District Collectorate, and did not heed to repeated warnings from the police using loudspeakers. Police then used tear gas and shooting at the sky. He also submitted that the police had to shoot at the crowd since a mob set government vehicles on fire and refused to withdraw despite repeated police warnings.